


Dream Catcher

by notafamousperson



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Angst, Cuddling, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Nightmares, Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Recovered Memories, Snuggling, Steve Rogers The Furnace
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-13
Updated: 2014-08-13
Packaged: 2018-02-12 23:47:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,201
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2128983
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notafamousperson/pseuds/notafamousperson
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"I... had a bad dream," Bucky whispers. He looks down at his lap where his fingers twitch on his right hand. His left remains still.</p><p>Steve sits up all the way. "I'm sorry," he said in a soft voice, "do you wanna talk about it?"</p><p>Bucky shook his head, "But I have to."</p><p>"Bucky, you don't-" Steve started.</p><p>"Yes, I do. I dreamt about the-" he broke off and took a deep breath. "Steve, I dreamt about falling off the train, and Hydra finding me, and-" his voice cracked. "And my arm."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dream Catcher

Steve was laying in his bed, eyes closed and arms behind his head, when Bucky finally came to his room. Since finding him and breaking the conditioning and training that Hydra gave him, he had been having nightmares that would wake him almost nightly. Steve tried to help him, but after Bucky woke up and almost managed to choke him out, Bucky refused to accept the help. Steve understood that he was afraid of hurting him, and he didn't want to deprive Bucky of his freedom of choice, so he hadn't gone into his room since. He would do small things to help Bucky calm down though, turn on music, put a baseball game on the television. Steve told Bucky that anytime he needed him, he could come to his room. Bucky hadn't taken him up on that offer once.

That is, until now. Steve heard a small knock on his door, and he looked up to see Bucky standing anxiously in the hallway. He was wearing sweatpants and one of Steve's long-sleeved shirts that was slightly long on him, and his eyes were red.

"Bucky?" Steve leaned up on his elbows, watching Bucky shift on his feet outside of Steve's room.

"Um-" he paused, looking down at his feet. "I had a- um... Can I come in?"

"Yeah, Buck, come on in," Steve said and patted the spot next to him on the bed. Bucky stood outside for a minute, and Steve was beginning to think that he was going to stand there all night. He waited patiently for him to make the next move though, not wanting to rush him, or force him to do something that he wasn't ready to do. Bucky took one step in, then hesitantly walked over to Steve's bed. He sat down gingerly and took a deep breath.

"I... had a bad dream," Bucky whispers. He looks down at his lap where his fingers twitch on his right hand. His left remains still.

Steve sits up all the way. "I'm sorry," he said in a soft voice, "do you wanna talk about it?"

Bucky shook his head, "But I have to."

"Bucky, you don't-" Steve started.

"Yes, I do. I dreamt about the-" he broke off and took a deep breath. "Steve, I dreamt about falling off the train, and Hydra finding me, and-" his voice cracked. "And my arm."

"Oh," Steve said. He remembered telling Bucky that it was his fault that he fell, and of course, he apologized, but Bucky hadn't remembered anything about it at the time, so he accepted it. He remembers now and he probably wants to leave. Steve doesn't blame him. After all, it's his fault that Bucky was captured. If he could have reached out a little farther, went after him when he fell, Bucky wouldn't have had to go through what he did. "I'm so sorry, Bucky," Steve talked over the lump in his throat, "I understand if you want to leave, I could see if Sam has a spare room-"

"Steve, stop. I don't want to leave," Bucky said. Steve stared, confused, at him. "When I first came, you- you said that it was your fault that Hydra captured me. That you screwed up. But it wasn't your fault." Bucky glared at Steve when he opened his mouth to argue, "Let me finish, punk. None of it was your fault, Steve. You couldn't have pulled me back in that train, and you wouldn't have found me in the snow. I shouldn't have survived that in the first place."

Steve began to argue back, "I could have tried, though. I could have-"

"No, you couldn't. There was nothing you could do," Bucky paused, and his voice began to waver, "Look, Steve. I can take the nightmares, and the flashbacks, and the- the panic attacks, but I can't take you blaming yourself for that. I can't do it." A tear slipped down Bucky's cheek that he quickly wiped away. "I'm not recovering from all this crap just for you blame yourself. If you're gonna blame anyone, blame Hydra. Blame the war. Hell, blame what we ate for breakfast the morning it happened. It wasn't you that did that."

Steve stared at him, open-mouthed. "I... guess I see your point," he whispered.

"Good. I guess I'll go now," Bucky stood up and walked to the door. "'Night, Stevie," he hesitated at the door.

"Bucky, wait," Steve pulled back the covers on his bed. "Do you wanna... I mean, it's a pretty big bed, so if you want to sleep here tonight, you can. Consider this an invitation."

Bucky grinned at him, "Thanks, Steve. I probably couldn't sleep alone tonight." He walked back over to the bed and sat down again.

"You gonna lay down, jerk? I wanna turn out the light." Steve said. 

Bucky punched him softly, but he got under the covers anyways. Steve turned off the lamp next to him and settled under the covers himself.

"I'm glad we have that settled," Bucky whispered from his spot in the bed. Steve turned sideways to look at him, only able to make out where his head was.

"I'm glad too. You know you can sleep here whenever you want, right? It might help. We used to do this back in the day, when the heat wasn't on and you were afraid I was going to get sick," Steve whispered back.

"I remember. The bed was nowhere near as big back then, though," he said.

"Yeah, and the room is warm now," Steve added. He could barely make out Bucky's scowling face, but he saw enough to make him laugh.

"Are you fucking kidding me? I'm freezing!" Bucky said.

Steve laughed again, "Come here, then." He opened his arms, an invitation for Bucky to come closer. He hesitated for a moment, then scooted closer slowly, until he was in Steve's arms, legs tangled together.

"Well this is backwards," Bucky said, "I used to be the one holding you."

Steve could hear the frown in his voice, and he had to fight back another laugh. "Now I'm holding you, so get over it."

"Hey, I'm not complaining, 's just different is all," Bucky murmured. He snuggled into Steve's chest more, inhaling deeply. "Like it. You smell nice."

"Is that why you're always stealing my shirts?" Steve asked. Bucky leaned back to stare at Steve's face.

"I steal your shirts because you never wear them," he countered.

"Maybe I would wear them if they would quit being stolen," Steve said. Bucky shook his head and leaned back into Steve.

"You have plenty of shirts. We'll argue tomorrow. Too much talking," Bucky said, his voice muffled by Steve's chest.

"Okay, fine," Steve whispered. He brought his hand up to stroke Bucky's hair, and he smiled when Bucky started to make a noise that sounded very similar to purring.

"Feels good," he mumbled, leaning into Steve's hand. Steve continued to stroke Bucky's hair, listening to his breathing slowly evening out. Right before finally drifting off, Bucky muttered, "fuckin' furnace." Steve smiled again, drifting off soon after.

It's the first night that Bucky sleeps through without a nightmare, but it isn't the last.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Comments and kudos are appreciated.


End file.
